General FAQs

ALVA offers full-time enrollment for grades K–12. Your kindergartner must be 5 years old by September 1 of the upcoming school year to enroll.

Because ALVA is a public school program, there is no tuition. We provide Alabama-certified teachers and instructional materials. Families are responsible for providing some common household materials (such as printer ink and paper). Our enrollment consultants can help address your technological and computer questions and needs.

Language arts, math, science, and history are the core courses. There are also courses in the appropriate grade levels, such as music, art, physical education, and health. Visit our elementary, middle school, and high school curriculum pages for more details.

Yes. We provide textbooks and instructional materials, which are dependent on the student’s grade level and the courses they’re enrolled in. High school students receive fewer books and materials than elementary and middle school students. 

We expect that students will spend no more than 15 to 30 percent of their school time on the computer in grades K–5, 50 to 70 percent in grades 6–8, and 80+ percent in grades 9–12. We believe in a balanced approach toward education. Computers help us provide you with effective assessment, planning, and time-management tools. Computers also act as powerful teaching tools that can motivate, stimulate, and inform children about the world around them. They do not, however, replace a solid education. Rather, they help facilitate one. That’s why we use a unique multimedia approach that also includes traditional books, workbooks, and instructional materials.

The elementary program is self-paced and flexible within the parameters specified by state law and student needs, based on benchmark assessments taken at the beginning of the school year. Middle school and high school students complete lessons in synchronous and asynchronous sessions and are expected to complete, quizzes, tests, and other assignments in a timely manner.

Depending on a child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), we can tailor learning to meet their needs. To discuss your child’s needs with us, please contact our office, and we will put you in touch with our special education team.

The beauty of our program is that it is flexible enough to meet children where they are in any given subject and take them where they want to go. Grade placement assessments, completed as part of the enrollment process, allow us to place your student in the appropriate level of curriculum. So, for example, if your fourth grader is doing math on a sixth-grade level and reading on a fourth-grade level, we can tailor lesson plans to meet your student’s abilities.

Throughout the year, students will be invited to participate in school outings, field trips (e.g., to historical sites, museums, zoos), picnics, and other social events. Local students and parents can get together on a regular basis in their areas. Students can also take advantage of a wide variety of online clubs.

Yes, we are a public school program in Alabama, so students can earn a diploma issued by ALVA based on successful completion and mastery of course content.

There are no home visits as part of the program and no other intrusions into your home.